Japan passes bill to raise visa fees

Tokyo - Japan’s National Diet approved a revision to the immigration control law on Friday to increase the maximum fee for foreign nationals’ residence status applications and introduce an online pre-travel authorisation system for arrivals from abroad.

After the fee changes take effect by the end of the current fiscal year, the maximum fee for visa extensions will be set at ¥100,000 (Rp11.2 million) and ¥300,000 (Rp33.7 million) for permanent residency applications, marking a sharp increase from the current thresholds of ¥6,000 (Rp674,000) for extensions and ¥10,000 (Rp1.1 million) for permanent residency.

The new fees will be officially set through a cabinet decision following public consultation.

The government, citing the fee increases as part of the revision, stated it would ease the financial burden on humanitarian grounds and for those facing financial difficulties, but lawmakers highlighted during parliamentary debates that the criteria for such considerations remain unclear.

The Immigration Services Agency plans to formulate guidelines specifying particular requirements and other details.

The revision also includes the establishment of the Japan Electronic Travel Authorisation System, with implementation targeted for the 2028 fiscal year.

The system, aimed at preventing terrorism and illegal work, targets 74 countries and territories whose citizens are eligible for visa-free short stays.

Travellers will be required to submit online information, such as name, travel purpose, and destination, several days before departure, which will be cross-checked against criminal records and other databases.

If there is suspicion that they are illegally overstaying, travellers will be denied boarding on planes or ships.

The foreign resident population in Japan is projected to reach approximately 4.13 million by the end of 2025, a record high.